


Change of Heart

by puppyfacedbrokenboys



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [33]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Gen, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-13 23:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7990558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppyfacedbrokenboys/pseuds/puppyfacedbrokenboys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being stuck in an elevator with Isabelle Lightwood makes Lydia Branwell have a change of heart.</p><p>(set before the trial)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change of Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarkAliceLilith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAliceLilith/gifts).



“Of all the people I could’ve gotten stuck in an elevator with and it just had to be you.” **  
**

Lydia managed to keep herself from flinching as Isabelle’s brash tone washed over her. In the reflection of the metal, Lydia noticed that behind her Izzy made it a point to press herself as close to the wall as possible, leaning into the corner from her spot on the floor. Lydia didn’t blame her.

How had everything gotten so messy? Lydia had been tasked to run the Institute, and somewhere down the line her decisions managed to get tangled up in a web.

_We rule with our heads, not our hearts. Remember that?_

Lydia sighed, curling her fingers into a fist on the metal surface as she made a face at herself. Ever since losing John she had made it a point to follow her head, follow the Law, and stay on the straight and narrow and true so she didn’t get hurt again. But there was something about the Lightwood siblings that managed to blow her off course without even realizing it.

Isabelle was mad at her, furious even. Lydia understood and agreed with her. Lydia was furious with herself for ending up in this situation. And if she couldn’t sway the Clave at the meeting – which she would inevitable miss if this damn metal cage didn’t start moving soon – then Isabelle would have more reason to be furious with her and it hurt Lydia to think about.

Lydia followed rules, yes. Laws were a necessity to keep society going. But what good were laws and enacting laws if they were used as an injustice to innocent people like the beautiful, fierce, and intelligent Isabelle Lightwood? The Lightwood that with one smile could make Lydia question everything.

“I understand you’re mad, but being mad at me is not going to get us out of here,” Lydia managed to finally say. She sighed again as she pressed her head to the cool metal. Runes were great, but they couldn’t fix everything. Sometimes they still had to solve problems like a mundane.

There was a huff from Izzy’s direction. “I can’t believe you don’t have a phone.”

Lydia gave a small, sarcastic gasp. “You mean yours isn’t permanently attached to your hand?” She pushed herself away from the metal wall and spun to look at Isabelle. “I’m shocked.”

When Isabelle merely glared at her, Lydia felt a small flare of pride that was quickly extinguished with guilt. She slid down the wall, diagonal from Isabelle, and stretched her legs out. She clasped her palms together and stuffed them between her knees for something to do. She sighed again, breaking the silence.

“Look,” Lydia began, her voice cracking slightly on the end. She cleared her throat and let her mask of composure fall over her. “I’m going to be marrying your brother.” Lydia pointedly ignored Izzy’s roll of her eyes. “I don’t want there to be animosity between us. I’m sorry that I had to bring Meliorn in–”

It was Izzy’s turn to snort.

“–Iz–Isabelle, I’m serious. Well, I’m not sorry I had to bring him in, but I’m sorry that it hurt you. And I know you won’t believe me – you have no reason to, really – but I am doing everything in my power that he is treated with respect and that the Law is upheld–”

“It’s all about the Law with you. Don’t you ever get tired?” Isabelle cut in heatedly. She was bored with Lydia’s attempts at justifying her behavior, and Lydia didn’t hold it against her. Her explanation sounded like an excuse, but it’s all she had and she needed Izzy to not be mad at her and she couldn’t figure out why quite yet.

Lydia thought about John, about raids and blood and demons. She thought of holding her love’s broken body as they waited for help, drawing runes upon runes over his body through her tears as she felt him slipping through her fingers. She remembered pressing one last kiss to his lips before being dragged away by another surviving team member. All because they had went in blind.

“If the Law isn’t upheld then where would we be?” Lydia asked, staring at nothing as images plagued her mind. She should have told Isabelle, maybe she would understand. But it was too close to her heart to be brought out in the open.

“They shouldn’t be treated like this,” Isabelle exploded. “What gives Shadowhunters the right to treat Downworlders as inferior? Our Angel blood?” She scoffed and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest as a fire flickered in her eyes.

Lydia was mesmerized; struck speechless by not only her ferocity but also her absolute correctness.

Just then, as the elevator door was ripped open and they were saved, Lydia was struck by how one in the same she and Isabelle were. The only difference is, Isabelle was more spirited than her to stay true to her heart when Lydia had lost her way.

Maybe the Lightwoods weren’t knocking her off course as she once thought, but helping her find her true north. She had to make things right.


End file.
